Best Friends
by koa-chan
Summary: C.C., V.V., pizza, waffles, ice cream, holding hands, and Clovisland. "Date then, you say?" Seriously? There's no romance.


**A/N: **C.C., V.V., and Clovisland. Weird? I know. Out of my usual? I know.

Bear with me... I was taking a break from C.-centric fics and then I suddenly had this gushing over V.V. for no apparent reason. Interpret the story as you like, flame my pacing or laugh at the weirdness, but please - don't bash me for abandoning Lelouch! I never did. :D

* * *

**Best Friends**

* * *

C.C. decided to ditch Lelouch.

Yes, she totally did.

He won't be happy about it, she knew.

So she decided to at least tell him that she's ditching him. The green-haired beauty took out her cellphone - Lelouch's or Zero's, she didn't mind at the moment which she snagged - and dialled the only other number she knew by heart that was not Pizza Hut's.

"Hello? I won't be coming. I've got a date. See you, then."

Lelouch's-... or was it Zero's? She was quite sure she heard a shout from a voice that could only be Tamaki's in the background-... Anyways, Lelouch's splutters about who she could possibly be dating was cut off as soon as she hung up.

The witch put the cellphone back in her pocket and walked up to her so-called date.

"So how's life?"

She smirked when she heard her new companion's voice. It was kind of an inside joke between them.

"Still no signs of ending?"

After that routinal second question, the joke ends.

That was how it is between two immortals.

One would not find it strange to see a green-haired, golden-eyed woman and a blonde-haired, violet-eyed boy sharing a bench at the park. They could have been siblings, or aunt-and-nephew, or even - because they know teens today - mother-and-son. One would have wondered if they model shampoos or who the hell fixes their hair for them, but dismissing those facts about their too-long locks, people wouldn't have found the scene strange at all.

But one thing's for sure. Both code-bearers find it strange to stumble upon each other in... Clovisland, of all places.

What C.C. was doing in Clovisland could be explained by a moving Cheese-kun mascot roaming around the place, but what V.V. should be doing in Clovisland was a completely different matter.

"So what's the Geass Directorate head doing in a park, dressed like a schoolboy?" C.C. asks, studying her companion carefully. Long-sleeved shirt, jean shorts, blue-and-white striped jacket, long hair in a low ponytail - V.V. looked out of the usual, but he looked like an ordinary ten-year old boy for once. Well, if he'd just mind, he could have cut his floor-length hair shorter...

"What's a missing witch doing in a park, walking as if she's an ordinary human?" V.V. retorts, taking in her appearance. Turtle-neck red shirt topped with a short beige over-coat, white miniskirt and hair in two braids. He always found C.C.'s sense of fashion weirdly-normal, but she seemed more.. humane today.

"Well, I heard there's a giant Cheese-kun mascot walking around." the woman answered in all sense that would mistake her as the child in the scenario. "And you..? I thought you had enough waffles in the palace."

"The waffles in the palace are splendid, yes." the boy huffs. "I just want to... walk around."

The woman then smiles crookedly. "That seems unusual of you, best friend."

Best friend.

V.V.'s eyebrows twitch in annoyance. He hated that nick-name. And the way she says it as if it's true. He hated that in C.C. - she was so, so... sarcastic. Fair enough, she hated him for his cruel and sly sense of humor too, but still... they're NOT best friends. He hates the witch... as much as he hates Marianne.

Well, maybe not as much, since he stands up and offers her his arm, much like how a prince would - he's a prince anyway.. once - and says, "Date then, you say?"

C.C., because she's C.C., loves to annoy people. She'll annoy Lelouch because of the ditching, and she had annoyed V.V. because of the 'best-friend' issue. But what she loves about V.V. is that he plays along when he's annoyed.

So, she decided that nobody had yet replaced the boy's position as her favorite playmate.

* * *

And of course, she can assure that Lelouch wouldn't be worrying about his credit card balance for today. Because it was like a natural LAW that all princes are gentlemen. Some may not be when (a) Lelouch: fighting claim over the bed, ignores you, orders you around - or tries to, (b) Clovis: stating PUBLICLY that you're a POISON GAS - a beautiful, green-haired poison gas, (c) Charles: letting his wife die because he loves her - yes, he does - oh, letting your poor daughter suffer, sending her along with a rebellious son as hostage, being a masochistic maniac with a loud booming supposed-to-be scary voice that tips women off... and among the not-last-in-the-list was (d) V.V.: claiming that waffles are much, much better than pizza - "Who cares about pizza? They're greasy. Waffles are healthy. They're tasty and not greasy. In short, they're healthy - and better than pizza, of course."

That was one time when C.C. got annoyed and thought about teaching the boy some good lessons about life, immortal butt-kicking women and pizza.

BUT because it was like a natural LAW that all princes are gentlemen - no matter how hard they act like bastards sometimes - all princes have a habit of treating their dates.

V.V. was not just a prince, but the Emperor's brother, soooo... he has all the money that could buy Clovisland. But since they shouldn't cause a ruckus - two immortals laying domination over Clovisland? Tough. - V.V. decided to treat her a box of her favorite pizza and treat himself five boxes of his favorite waffles. C.C. glared when she saw the difference between their snack's quantity, but over-all she decided that she'll just have to strangle her best friend later when she wants another box of pizza. 'Later' turned out to be 'as soon as possible'. So she got her four extra boxes safe.

By the way, they didn't know how they ended up riding the Ferry's Wheel together. All they knew was they headed for the same place as soon as they got their food tucked in their arms. As soon as they got in, they ate the pizza and the waffles.

Before they got out, the food was wiped out and safe in their stomachs.

Immortals have bottomless pits for intestines, yes.

Immortals also leave their ride as if they were leaving a movie house. Boxes and trash everywhere.

They'd make it through alive, anyway.

After riding the most boring ride of all, namely the Carousel - yes, they agreed on that one - they had only one sentence to say as they exited the ride premises.

"Let's eat ice cream."

They walked towards the nearest ice cream stall hand-in-hand.

Weirdly enough, V.V. likes C.C.'s hand. Not that he always held it - 'Why would I?!?' - he just always liked the way she doesn't care when he's swinging said hand around like a little boy would. Weirdly enough, C.C. doesn't give a damn about arm swinging and hand-holding when it came to the boy. Because, believe it or not, she felt like it whenever he felt like it.

Suffice to say, it was a weird enough fact that they like each other's hands.

They would have killed a person if said person said that the two were attached to each other in that way. They didn't like attachment. Attachment was one thing an immortal didn't need. An immortal may be attached to his current contractor, but he shouldn't hope that much - people fail when the Geass overcomes them. An immortal should not learn to attach himself with a mortal. An immortal should, however, learn how to use a mortal - because other than that, an immortal's existence wouldn't be fun.

They didn't like attachment - maybe they like holding each other's hands because it's symbolic in a way. Classics tend to stick to immortals, after all. Holding hands was symbolic in a way that they 'walk the same path'.

That was the main idea.

So... in summary, holding-hands is just their pasttime. Yes - a hobby, or a nonsensical habit, it didn't matter.

What matters is that the strawberry ice cream in front of them looked delicious.

By the way, immortals tend to get random.

* * *

They sat back in the bench as they ate their treats silently. Both stared off at the dull-looking (for both of them, at least) sunset.

"It' so ugly." the boy said in disgust.

C.C. smirked. "It always is."

They might not be the best of friends as they tease each other with, but they had many things in common.

"I hate it."

"Me too."

C.C. had watched too many sunsets in her existence that it had lost its supposed beauty in her eyes. V.V. had only recently learned that the sunset is a tiring thing to watch...

...Besides, they can't tell when their last sunset will be - centuries, decades from now? Forever? Then they would eventually have to look at that scene like anything else. A part of the world that they're both stranded in.

They went on without any word exchanged anymore.

When the woman drops her head on top of V.V.'s, the boy merely glances at her to see her still wide-awake, just simply looking for something to lean on. He shifts his head slightly so it rested on his companion's neck as she inched closer to him and positioned herself comfortably.

"Hey, Pizza-butt."

"Yes, Waffle-head?"

A silence that signalled an incoming war. Both simply shrugged it off.

"You look... free." V.V. says dully. He glanced up at her again and looked back down at the pink delicacy which was his snack. "You caught a nice contractor this time?"

"You can say that." C.C. chuckled, licking her ice cream. "I'm doing good. You?"

Before he could reply, a coloful cart just passed by in front of them. Both stood up the next second, startling the man that was pushing the cart along.

Two words escaped their lips.

"Cotton candy."

The dash that followed startled Mr. Cotton Candy.

"Two sticks." V.V. said, handing the vendor some cash.

"Uh..." the vendor looked at the boy uneasily.

How many times do you see a little boy holding the cash with his aunt/sister/pleadingly-not-mother trailing behind eagerly and silently?

"There's only.. one left... sir."

The vendor almost stepped back the moment C.C. and V.V. eyed each other and had a glaring contest.

"Mine."

"Ladies first, boy."

"I'm the one paying."

"Then I'll buy that first. I have money too, you know."

"But that's mine. You've had cotton candy countless times!"

"How do you know? Besides, it's still mine."

"You've lived for centuries!"

"I'm older - so I get the cotton candy."

At once, two credit cards were shoved towards the man's face.

"MINE."

"I..- I... don't accept credit.. cards... sir, ma'am.." the cotton-candy-vendor stuttered, fearing both glares directed at him.

Then a small voice interrupted. "One, please!" The three looked down at the source of the squeaky sound.

A toss of a coin, grabbing of the one stick of cotton candy left. Then the little five-year old girl skipped away.

V.V. glared at his companion. "This is your fault, witch."

C.C. huffed. "Says the one who argued."

"You retorted in the first place."

"You weren't being a gentleman."

It was kind of funny how they argued like that while walking back to their bench hand-in-hand again. They swung their arms back and forth and decided to slump back down in their seats.

Then the worst thing that could happen in the average 'date' happened. It rained. It just poured out without warning. Three seconds was all it took for C.C. to finally find the motivation to do something. She pulled the boy with her, arms slightly around his neck, to the nearest shade - a big umbrella that was weirdly stuck in a random place. They were the only ones who occupied the property for the moment. V.V. looked up and groaned when he noticed that the rain is just starting its goddamned blessing.

He was lucky enough that C.C. was taller and that she got most of the rain water on her.

In speaking of dripping wet...

"Here."

C.C. looked down to see her companion handing her his striped jacket. "What? I won't die here, V.V."

The boy huffed and looked away, but his gesture said otherwise. He threw the jacket at C.C. V.V. glared at her discreetly and proceeded to scold the older immortal. "You might catch a cold, sneeze, and infect me. I don't like getting sick - Charles will scold me."

The witch smirked down and finally draped the jacket over her shoulders. It was a little small for her, but it did help bring in some warmth. "You do love me then, don't you, best friend?"

"What are friends for, best friend?" V.V. pouted at her. "You started it."

* * *

Half an hour later, they were still standing under the oversized umbrella and watching boring raindrops fall.

"This is stupid." V.V. mumbled. "Why are we waiting, anyway?"

C.C. shrugged, arms folded across her hest.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Let's go home."

"Where is that?"

"Alright." V.V. groaned under his breathe, glaring at the woman. "I go home. You go... anywhere you want to."

The woman glazed him with an unreadable expression. "You want to leave me already?"

This time, V.V. started to exasperate. "Yeah, I do. We're stuck here in a boring umbrella under the boring rain and our boring date's almost done."

The look she gave him was kinda cute - and he hated it when she's looking cute. Or trying to. It just didn't fit her. Those puppy eyes, puffed cheeks and pouted mouth didn't fit a centuries-old woman at all.

"Don't try to look so sad, witch. We've had enough food and rides and walks-"

"But I missed you."

V.V. threw her a look that crossed from blank to annoyed to sympathetic to undestanding to blank again. He tried glaring at the woman, but she just made her eyes sparkle even more. When he flinched at the attempted kicked-puppy look, she gave up and simply rolled her eyes.

"You're leaving now." was what C.C. said, a bit disappointed at the abrupt goodbye. She just sighed flippantly and turned her back on him. "Go on, then."

V.V. nodded to himself. Good. He didn't give in to the cuteness and now he's ready to take off. He turned around and started to walk away-

"Bye, V.V."

He glanced back at the green-haired woman and saw that her head was cocked to look after him. And she was wearing that face again.

He stared back boredly.

And then he turned back around to face her and glared. His hands were itching to pull at those green locks and friggin' tie her up with them. And if he could somewhat exterminate her right now he'll absolutely do it. He'll call on all the Knights of Round and make them shoot her with Hadron Cannons. Because she's being stubbornly stupid. Because she's being so resolutely determined on making him stay.

"Hey, witch." he started, a growl in the making under his breath. She turned to face him. "You know what? That was cute. You win. Alright, alright. That was totally cute - and stupid." He settled himself beside her again. "Fine then - I'm staying 'till the rain stops. And then you go to wherever the hell you came from."

If he had heard right, she giggled. Or did she chuckle? Whichever way it was, he is so going to KILL HER when he sees her again.

"I'm just humoring you. You looked lost and insane." he said, crossing his arms infront of him, pouting. "And you just truly looked stupid. I was kind enough to take pity on you because you were looking so so so stupid." The boy continued his rant as he turned his head to look at her again. "Did your brain cells rot due to old age? I'll bet they didn't survive the centuries of-... What the hell."

She was smiling lightly at him, her arms spread out as if she's a mother waiting for her child to glomp at her and yell 'Mama'.

He glared dangerously. "I am not a kid."

"Are you sure? You do look like one." C.C. said teasingly.

"I am the Emperor of Brittania's older brother. You do know what that means. If that old hag has fathered 100 children, then I'm much much-"

"Did you perhaps father 101?" she asked, innocence lacing her tone.

"Do you think our family fathers dalmatians?" V.V. glowered. "I AM NOT A KID, you witch. And I don't father 101 dalmatians or imps or stinky diaper-wearing infants. But I'm approximately 50 plus."

C.C. chuckled at him. "Half a century compared to my three.. or was it four? I lost count..."

"We're not talking about age here."

"Last time I checked, you were insisting on a matter most related to age. Or are you insisting we're talking about dalmatians?"

He groaned. And glared hotly.

"V.V., you're a sore loser. You know you can't outwit someone like me."

"I don't lose."

"Oh? I'm not convinced. And besides," she looked at her spread out arms again. "You know you want it."

He looked back at her and tried to pierce her with his eyes. No effect. He huffed and looked away.

C.C. just shook her head in exasperation as she started to let her arms drop.

But he mumbled something. "...Promise me you won't snap my neck."

She chuckled once more and looks at him with sarcasm. "You won't die, anyway."

"It's gross!" He looked at her and she almost laughed. He was dead serious. "To feel your neck snapped by someone and feeling it twist back into place. I mean... Eww. That's yucky."

"And you tell me you're not a kid." C.C. stifled a laugh. "I promise I won't snap your neck, then." She held her arms out again and this time, he slowly, hesitantly walks up to her and hugs her waist, looking away, resting his cheek against her chest. She wraps her arms around his neck and clings loosely on him. "See? It's not bad and there will be no neck-snapping."

V.V. closes his eyes and listens to the sound of the rain mingling together with the sound of a heart he knew had been beating for almost eternity. Stopping at death and then defying laws of nature as after seconds, it starts its hum again. He never really had any of the experiences she had. He was always safe-guarded inside the palace, always in the security of special royal guards. He knew she never had any protection except her very existence, and he knew she was hated, burned, tortured and killed numerous times. She was loved many times and yet it was because she cheated. He was protected in lush walls, given all he wanted - and he had in contact the only person he knew he'd ever give his service.

For this he listened closely to her heartbeats. Perhaps they'll tell him how it was to die numerous times. He didn't get into any life-staking situation... ever. And yet he knew that if he'll be stuck in one, he'll survive. That was because he was immortal. For him, he only cherished immortality because Charles needed his lifelong assistance. If Charles fails, it's either V.V. passes him the code, or continue the dream for his brother himself.

C.C. looks down at the boy resting calmly against her. "How are you, V.V.?"

He doesn't speak, but she felt his cling to her waist tighten unexpectedly.

The woman pats his head and strokes his long blonde hair softly. "I understand."

C.C. won't admit it, but one of the creatures she grew to care for the most - other than Lelouch, or Nunnally, or Marianne - is V.V. He started with the Code in such a young age, and although she knew that the boy is willing to face consequences, she also knew that he still wasn't ready for them. Nobody ever will be ready to face a deathless life - she learned that the hard way.

V.V. is just a child. Compared to her, he really just is. He grows anxious in the mere knowledge of Charles's divided attention. He likes security. He still had to learn many things. It'll take C.C. years to enumerate every single sacrifice and hurt he'd have to live - or rather, exist with. If that will make him give up the Code, then she'll spend those years enumerating. C.C. may be cold, but she didn't lose her heart. It was just that she choses who to use it for.

"C.C.?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked down to see V.V. looking back at her blankly. "What?"

The boy frowned. "I'm going to pee."

C.C. smiled in amusement as she let him go. The boy looked around and saw a near men's washroom, so he quickly slipped out the umbrella, ran under the rain as fast as he could, and went to the relieve himself.

The phone vibrating in her pocket caught her attention and C.C. picked up the call quickly, while V.V. was not around. It might be Black Knight business, anyway. "Hello?"

"Hey, where are you?" Lelouch's voice sounded firm at that.

"Clovisland. On a date. You're not allowed to come."

"When does this 'date' end? I need you for Black Knight operations. As soon as possible."

C.C. tapped her chin with her index finger and rolled her eyes, thinking. "Hm, well.. maybe you can pick me up as soon as the rain stops?"

* * *

The rain stopped after ten more minutes of silence.

V.V. stood up from his crouch. C.C. who was positioned the same way looked at him curiously. "As promised, I'll go now." the boy said simply, looking down at her.

"Alright. Someone'll pick me up soon, anyway." the witch shrugged, taking the jacket that was draped over her shoulder and handing it to him.

The boy simply nodded, putting on his jacket and checking his watch. He started to walk away, but the witch stood up and tugged on his sleeve. He turned around and looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Hm?"

His glare returned when he saw the witch smile crookedly and use a finger to tap her cheek.

"That is cute too, C.C. But that's not stupid anymore. That's just utterly ridiculous."

"I think it's quite normal." C.C. said pointedly. "This IS a date, right?"

The boy crossed his arms across his chest. "I am NOT kissing you, woman."

C.C. rolled her eyes. "Are you still mad that I was the one who stole your first kiss?" She smirked when the boy blushed pink and looked away, huffing rudely. "Well, you know you're quite lucky that someone was willing to kiss what looked like a ten year-old."

The boy's glare sharpened. "I was forcing myself to forget that."

"How can you have the heart to forget your one and only kiss?"

"You forced it on me, you pedophile!"

"My, pedophile? Me? You're mean." C.C. twirled a lock of hair in her finger. "It was just a little farewell gift. Besides, it wasn't even French."

This time the boy's jaw dropped and he looked at her in disgust. "You were thinking of French?! Ewww!" He turned around to hide the pink tinge on his cheeks and tried to walk away, but C.C.'s hand was fast to grab his ponytail. "...YOU WITCH! THAT'S MY HAIR!!!" the boy shouted at her, his glare now on triple-intensity.

"I'll snap your neck, V.V. And cut your hair. And color it BLUE." C.C. warned, not letting go of the thick blonde locks. She smiled evilly when her date looked at her with expression aghast. "And maybe I should give you curls. How about ringlets? Do you want PINK dreadlocks instead? Or maybe an afro-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the witch was caught off guard when a small hand grabbed one of her braids and pulled her down. The next thing she knew, shy lips met hers in a second-long kiss - and then her companion was gone.

* * *

"You killed all your bodyguards, V.V." Charles's voice resounded as soon as the boy entered his room. "Where did you go?"

V.V. was frowning when he answered. "Date."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "What?"

V.V. threw off his jacket and his shoes as he plopped down on his bed. "I had a date with my best friend."

Charles gazed critically at his brother and contractor, but seeing that the boy was not interested in answering anymore questions, he just shrugged and exited the room, still clueless.

"CHARLES!! WAFFLES!!" The Emperor's eyebrow twitched when he heard the shout from his ten year-old-looking older brother.

V.V. gazed at the ceiling, still frowning.

"Why didn't I just teleport sooner? That way I wouldn't have had my hair threatened. Pink dreads. Eww."

* * *

**FINIS.**

* * *

**A/N: **It's just that it's fun to insert pizza, waffles, dates, ice cream, rides, amusement parks, hugs, holding hands and kisses without the romance. Get what I mean?

Anyways, I really dunno how the heck V.V. just pops in and out of nowhere, so... I assumed he can teleport??


End file.
